Belt-tightener.



G. L. DAVIS.

\BELT TIGHTENER.

APPucATIoN FILED Nov.2a. 1917.

Patented 0t.22,1918..

l nvanCoz UNITED A sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

GEORGE I.. DAVIS, oF BINGHAM'ToN, NEW YORK, AssIGNoR To l'r1-IE BINGHAMTON WASHING MACHINE co., 0E BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

BELT-TIGHTENER.

Application filed November 28, 1917. Serial No. 204,418.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. DAVIS, a citizen of the United' States, residing at Binghamtomin the county of' Broome and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Belt-Tightener,-of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to belt tighteners and is particularly designed for use in connection with washing-machines and other laundry appliances although it is to be understood that the same is capable of a greatv variety of applications. One 0I' the objects'of the invention is to provide an electric motor so mounted as to be capable of movement relative to its support, thus to maintain taut the belt driven by the motor, thereby to insure a constant speed of vthe driven apparatus and permit the use of an endless belt without employing an independent idler such as heretofore necessarily usedto allow for the shrinkage or stretching which very kfrequently occurs in a belt-driven apparatus.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the motor is tiltably mounted, means being employed for pulling on the motor thus to hold the belt taut under varying conditions.

lV ith the foregoing and other objects in" view, which will appear as `the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention hereindisclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the inve-ntion.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings I Figure l is a side elevation of a belt tightener embodying the present improvements, a portion of its supporting structure being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. l, a portion of the motor l being broken away.

' Referring to the figures by characters of reference A designates a portion of a supporting frame which can be part of a wash- Specication of Letters Patent.

frame may be provided with l,the wings 3 Patented oct. 22, 191s.

This supporting slots a for the reception of bolts l adapted to fasten to the structure A the base plate 2 of a bracket. Extending from the plate 2 are wings and depending from the plate is an ear 4 carrying an outstanding finger 5. A motor 6 which can be an electric motor, a water motor or the like, is supported above the structure A and the plate 2y and has depending ears 7 mounted on av pivot pin 8 extending through the wings 3. The drive wheel 9 ing machine or thelike.

of the motor 6 is engaged by an endless belt B anda Enger 10 is extended from the base portion of the motor and is connected by a spring ll to the finger 5. The ears 9 are located under the center of the motor 6 so that when the motor is in its normal position all ofthe weight thereof is transmitted through the ears to the 'pin 8, or, in other words said motor is balanced. The spring 11 serves to take up slack in the belt B by pulling vthe motor o of its center.

Obviously by mounting the motor in the particular manner described and utilizing the spring 1l, any shrinkagev of the belt and any expansion thereof will be permitted and the beltkept taut under all conditions. The

rocking of the motor relative to its support is limited by coming into contact either with or with the supporting member A.

-What is claimed is The combination with a supporting structure, of a base plate attached to and adjustable laterally upon the structure, a wing upon the plate, a nger below and project- ..ing beyond the wing, a motor above and pivotally connected to the wing, the end of the wing constituting a stop for limiting the tilting of the motor in one direction, a spring connected to the finger and motor for pulling the motor in said direction, and a drive pulley upon the motor for engaging a drive belt extended in the opposite direction.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiiXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. DAVIS.

- Witnesses:

M. R. CHRISTIAN, O. A. BRAZIE. 

